Combination stool and stepladder



Dec. 30, 1947. MPKEEN 2,433,699

COMBINATION S' IOOL AND STEPLADDER Filed Sept. 16,1944 2 Sheets-Sheet lEverett Morgana/z Dec. 30, 1947. E. M. KEEN 2,433,699

COMBINATION'STOOL AND STEfLADDER 7 Filed Sept. 16, 1944 ZSh eetS-Sheet 2i Everett MIWKGQIZ/ w Maw-A.

Patented Dec. 30, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,433,699'GOMBINA'TION STOOL AND sTEPL-ADDER Everett M. Keen, Vineland, N. J.

Application September 16, 1944, Serial'No. 554,168

8 Claims. (Cl. 155*42.)

1 The present invention relates to furniture and more particularly to astool or chair adapted especially to household use. While a number ofnovel and useful features are provided by the invention, a preferredform of construction co nprises a device which combines the functions ofa stool and a step ladder; in such complete realization of all theprincipal objects of the invention the structureis useful in households,and particularly in the kitchens thereof, as an ordinary stool on whicha erson'ma'y sit at a table, sink or the like, and as a step ladder onwhich a person may stand high enough above the floor for suchvariedurposes as reaching the ceiling to wash or paint it, reaching the topshelf of a cupboard or cabinet, or reaching a ceiling lighting fix tureto change the bulb.

To accomplish these and other related objects, the construction in itspreferred forms of embodiment comprises a generally rigid framestructure including a seat anda plurality of legs. Movably mounted inthe frame is step means, comprising a single individual step or a pairor more of individual steps, which step means is normally maintained inretracted position be neath the seat of the stool but which can beproject-ed forwardly to serve as the tread means of a step ladder. When,as is preferred, two or more of such individual steps are incorporatedin the structure, they are made separately extensible to differentlimits; so that the lowermost step will project farther from the planprojection of the seat than the higher step or steps. The result is amore or less regular backward incline of the front edges of the extendedsteps and the seat, so that allthese elements cooperate in the manner ofa step ladder to make ascent and descent very easy and safe.

An important object of the invention 'is to provide strong and stablesupport for the step means when extendedand to keep the center ofgravity of all loads on-the seat or on any step" always Well within thepolygonal outline which includes: the points of contact of the legs onthe of them can project as far; as the extended legs.

of the lowermost step.

Further objects 1 are concerned with making, theappearanceot thestructure neat and orna mental, making the constructionrugged anddurah-1e, reducing the cost or manufacture, rendering all the movingparts easily operable and toolproof, and making" it possible toconstruct the entire device from standard gauge sheet metal With theseand other objects in view, as will more clearly appear to those skilledin the art from a reading of the present specification, the inventioncomprises, apreferred form 'of embodiment 'which has been actually madeand been found entirely satisfactory in service, the

construc ion illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing and describedhereinafter.

But this construction is selected merely to illustrate the broadprinciples of the invention as defined the appended claims. Variousdetails may be modified or eliminated, all within thespi-rit of theinvention which is defined by the claims. Hence these claims areintended to be construed broadly and without limitation except asrequired by their express wording or bythe state of the prior art.

the drawing, in which the same reference character designates the'samepart in the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the step means of the combinationdevice extended so that the device willfun'ction as a step ladder;

Fig. '2 is a similar perspective view showing the step means retractedifor use of the device a stool;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially midwaybetween the front and rear legs of. the device, looking backward towardthe rear legs;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional View taken through an upper step,along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, looking downwardly;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken through the lowermoststep, along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking downwardly;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially midwaybetween the front and rear legmembers, along the line'6--B of Fig. 3,looking to the left in that figure and showing the step means extended;

The device comprises essentially-a rigid frame comprising 7 a plurality,of leg member-s surmounted by and supporting a seat. In the muse tratedembodiment {our leg, members are used:

These comprise two rear legs l0, l0 and twoiront Fig. 7 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 5 showing aleg members ll, H. The elements l and II haverigidly secured to their upper ends, as by the nut and bolt means l2, orby spot welding or otherwise, a seat element l3 to which may be secureda conventional type of backrest l4 conveniently provided with a handhold opening I?) by which the device may be lifted and carried.

While all these parts of the structure may assume any appropriate form,I find it convenient to make the leg elements of angle iron stock, orbetter still of sheet metal formed in angle shape, and to make the seatelement from sheet metal, generally rectangular in plan but with roundedcorners, and having a down turned peripheral flange It. This flangeprovides a convenient inner surface against which the side and front orrear flanges of the angle leg elements may be engaged and to which theymay be secured by the nut and bolt means l2 or otherwise as has beenexplained.

The backrest I4 is best made of sheet metal, appropriately curved andtrimmed, and bolted or otherwise secured at its bottom margin to theflange l6 of the seat member.

The rear legs Ill are of full length, extending from the floor level totheir connection with the seat element, but each of the front legs ll isformed in two sections I la and. llb, for a purpose Which will presentlyappear.

The upper front leg sections Ila constitute parts of the rigid frame.They are connected to the rear legs l0 by upper side braces l1 and lowerside braces l8 which perform the function of ordinary chair rounds. Theupper side braces l'l' are connected together by a cross brace l9 andthe lower side braces are connected together by a cross brace 29. Thepreferred forms of these several bracing members will now be explained.

In addition to their rigidifying function in the frame, the side bracesl1 and I8 are required to serve as guideways for sliding steps, and eachof them is therefore made of channelled stock, conveniently sheet metalformed with a central web 2i and top and bottom flanges 22. The channelsface inwardly and they may be secured to the leg members by weldingtheir webs to the leg member side flanges or, as is shown in thedrawing, by striking portions of the channel flanges up and downrespectively at the ends of the channels to form fastening ears 23 whichare bolted or spot welded to the leg member front and rear flanges withwhich they are engaged.

The cross braces l9 are best made in the form of simple plates eachhaving a central stiffening rib 24.

In the illustrated embodiment I have shown a single pair of upper sidebraces l1 and a singlev pair of lower side braces l8, but it will beunderstood that more may be provided, if desired, in any largerembodiment of the invention.

The upper sections lla of the front legs terminate at substantially thelevel of the upper flanges 22 of the lower side brace l8. These lowerside brace terminate forwardly at about the line of the rear edge of theside flange of each of these upper leg sections lla. In order to securethe lower ends of the upper leg sections Ila, to the lower side bracesl8, I may use gusset plates 2'5, each having an inturned lower flange 26secured to the upper flange 22 of the adjacent side brace l8 and havingits web secured to the side flange of the adjacent upper leg sectionlla, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. v r 7 The structure thusdescribed provides a very rigid frame, even when made of comparativelylight gauge sheet metal, as is preferred.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention two movable steps areprovided. The lowermost of these, designated 21, will now be described.It comprises a flat tread portion made generally like the seat elementl3, out of sheet metal provided with a downturned peripheral flange 28.This step 21 is arranged to slide in and out in the guideways formed bythe facing channel shapes of the lower side braces l8. It is alsoprovided with supporting means in the form of the lower front legsections llb. Thus it may 'in Fig. 1, to adapt the structure for use asa step ladder. In the retracted position the leg sections I la and llbare vertically alined, while in the extended position, as shown in Fig.1, the lower front leg sections llb are forwardly offset from the uppersection 11a, thus providing good stable support for the structure andany load that may be imposed on it.

While the lower step can be made in a number of ways, I prefer to makeit as shown in the drawings. This construction consists in making thetread portion substantially rectangular in plan, although its front edgemay be somewhat rounded to enhance its appearance. Extending along eachof the. right and left sides of the tread portion 27 and parallel to theflange 28 thereof is a runner 29 comprising a strip of sheet metal ofspecially formed shape. The rear end portion 30 of each of these runnersis secured to the rear peripheral flange 28, and thence the runnerextends outwardly a short distance beyond the tread portion of the stepand is turned forwardly to extend along the side of the tread portionparallel to the side flange 28. Just short of the front edge of thetread portion the runner is turned right angularly inwardly to provide ashoulder 3| and meet the flange 28. The runner is then continued a shortdistance around the front of the step, in contact with the front flange2'8 thereof, to terminate short of the center of the front flange in aportion which is bolted or otherwise secured thereto, as shown at 32.Some such spacing means as the element 33, best shown in Fig. 5, may, ifdesired or thought necessary, be secured between the side flange 28 andthe runner 29 to stiffen the relation of the two members and keep themaccurately parallel.

The upper end of each lower front leg section I lb is engaged with theshoulder 3| of the runner 29 and fixed thereto by bolting or otherwise.If desired or thought necessary, a small spacer plate 34, seeparticularly Fig. 5, may be inserted so that when the lower stepassembly is in the retracted position shown in Fig. 2 the two front legsections will be accurately alined.

As will be evident from the drawing, the lower step assembly slides inthe channel guideways provided by the lower side braces l8. The sideprojections formed by the runners 29 fit in the channels with sufficientplay to permit easy sliding but with enough penetration to preventseparation. To limit'the extent to which the lower step assembly may beslid forwardly from its 'guideways I provide a pair of registeringperforations in the flanges 22 of each side brace member l8 and dropbolt 35 through them. This bolt becomes engaged by the outwardlyextended rear portion 30 of the runner when theassaeee assembly. isslidfforward and. thus. limits. the extent ofwforward movement.

It will be evident from the. foregoing that the lower step. may bereadily moved between its Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 positions to convert thestructure. from step. ladder to. ordinary stool use. Any weight imposedon the lower. step when in extended. position. is borne by the. rearlegs Ill and the front leg sections llb and is transmitted to thefloor,the center of gravity of the construe. tion being well within theoutline which includes. the'points. of; contact of these legs and legsections. on the floor. Thus the device is. perfectly stable,

Asecond step, or: a plurality. of steps, is best provided. Intheillustrated embodiment. a. singleupper. step. is. shownmounted to.slide in the guideways. provided by the. single pair of upper. sidebraces ll. This upper step, designated 36. is made much. like the; lowerstep 21', being provided with. a similar runner 31 on each side,stiffened if. desired with relation; to the flange 38: by the element39.. The runner 3115 turned in to. engage the flange 3.8. and. provideashoulder 4.0, but this. shoulder is spaced relatively far back alongtheside of the step.35 as compared with the position- OfzllhBShQllldGI,3 l. of the lower-step 2.1. The result.

is. that. the. runner and the guideways provided the upper: side. bracesl]; interfit. tov permit the upper stepto he slid in and out a distancewhich will belimitedby en a ement of theback of the.

step with the rear legs when the step is. in re.- tracted. position and:by engagement of the shoulder ii-with the. front flanges of the; front.e swhen; the. step. isinextended position. Since thechannel; guideways.provided by. theupper side braces. I]; are closed; attheir front bythefront;

flangeso the. upper sections Ila of the front legs itis unnecessaryv to,provide any. such slidea limiting. means. as .thebolts 3.5...

If; desired or thought necessary, the. front flan es-. of. the. upperleg. sections. Ha. may: be.

li ht y. no hed. as shown at 42. to. pass. the, for-. War e dportionsofthe runner so. that these por ons; may, end along the front, of. theflange 3,8,,andu'be secured/t eretoin stiffening, relation, ike thepo tins 32;;of thelower steprunners. 2.9;.

'ifhatvi o. or more steps; areso. arranged that.

their. stops (thebolts siandthe; shoulders 40 p. 2 .11 th upper. St p;9.5.1.110 be; extended only;

abouthalf asraras the, lowerstepZ'l. Thus.

the several steps, when extended, have; theirfront; edges arranged in,a, more or less regular backward incline towardthe front edge of theseat element 13. In this positionof the parts the structure provides avery useful step ladder, as

has been explained'hereinabove. When the steps..,

are all retracted, they are all out of "the way in the frame,substantially within the plan projection of the seat element, and thefront leg sections arevertically alined, so'th-at the device may--be-used asan ordin-arykitohen or other type of stool, with thestepladder parts in no way interferingwith the'legs of-apersQnsitting on-theseat element. 7 v r r 'Fig. '7 shows a slight 'modifi'cation in whichthe forward end portions 32 =of-the runners 29 of the lower stepassembly are fastened to the inside surface of the flange 28 ofthe lowerstep member- Z'Linstead ottothe outersurfacethereof asshown in Figs. 1and 2. In the Fig. '7 form the flange 28 is slotted at 43 to pass therunner. This construction affords all the rigidity of the arrangementshown in Figs. 1 and 2 and may by some designers be considered asproducing a somewhat 6. neater appearance because it masks the frontedges'of' the runners. Of course this same modification may be madeinrespect of the upper step,v and Fig; 7 is therefore intended to serveas a view of a variation of Fig. 4 as. well as of Fig. 5.

Eigs. 8 and 9. show one type of further modification which can beemployed if it be thought necessary or desirable to latch either or bothof. the steps. in extendedposition to prevent their accidentally beingmoved back to retracted position and to. increase their sliding frictionin the guideways so that they are not apt to fall forwardtoextended.position if the stool ispicked up and tilted forward. Such latches maytake any one of a. number of forms, but I have found the one illustratedin Figs. Sand 9: to be simple, inexpensive and entirely practical andsatisfactory. It. consists. of small spring finger riveted or otherwisesecured at its lower end to the inner surface ofone: of the two runners29 of the lower step (orto the: inner surface of one of the two runnersofrthe upper step). The upper end of this finger-is bent-inwardlyandprovided with a button 4.6; preferably having a beveled face,

pressed by the'spring tension of the material of the finger intofrictional engagement with the under surface of the: top flange 22 ofthe upper side brace l1 or ofthe lower side brace 18, as the: case maybe. This surface is-provided' with the-apertureHintowhich the-buttonsnaps when the. step. is; in fully extended position, so that the step:is: .thereby;-latche"d. Retraction of the stepr. requires. the: buttonto be pushed down throughtheaperture sufficiently for its beveledface-to cam the button entirelythrough-the aperturewhen the step ispushed back toward re When. in retracted position stops3-5= may beomitted or, if desired, both stepscan bereta-ined. In-suchcase, ofcourse, the stopand the latch will be so located adjacent to. a.

single-runner 29fthat neitherwill interfere with the other.

It is thought that from the foregoing itv will. be evident to thoseskilled. in the art. that the present invention attains allithe. objectsand purposes set'iorth in the introduction to this specifl cation ofthe, details of a. practical embodiment. which has been manufacturedandhas given com-..

plete satisfaction inactual use.

It. will. be understoodv that. the construction.

readih lends. itself. to finishing by painting, enamelingor platinginthe usual way for metal furniture. In this connection I wish to pointout particularly that none of the parts which are in sliding contact(and-which. therefore would not very,long.main-tainunmarred a coating ofpaint. or thalike) isexposed to view'when the parts.

are retracted-- andthe; structure is in position for use as. a stoo1,.asshown in Fig- 2. For example,- theetread-portions of thejsteps arespaced by the: runners fiflgand-ill'. from the channel guideways;so,that-the; finish of these; tread portions is'.pro-.-.. The.

tested, from contact: with the guideways. runners may be left unfinishedfor good sliding contact with the guideways, particularly since they areentirely concealed in the normal position of the parts. I regard this asan important feature of the invention.

I claim:

1. A combination stool and step ladder comprising a plurality of legmembers including two rear leg members and two front leg members, thefront leg members being divided into upper sections and lower sections,means connecting the rear leg members and the upper sections of thefront leg members to provide a rigid frame, a seat surmounting andsupported by said frame, and a step slidable in the frame and secured tothe lower sections of the front leg members and extensible from theframe with said lower sections so as to be supported thereby in extendedposition.

2. A combination stool and step ladder comprising two rear leg membersand two front leg members, the front leg members being divided intoupper sections and lower sections, means connecting the rear leg membersand the upper sections of the front leg members to provide a rigidframe, a seat surmounting and supported by said frame, and meansconnecting the lower sections of the front leg members to the frame formovement from a retracted position aligned with the upper sections to anextended position forwardly offset therefrom, said means including astep secured to the lower sections and slidable in the frame.

3. A combination stool and step ladder comprising two rear leg membersand two front leg members, the front leg members being divided intoupper sections and lower sections, oppositely facing horizontal channelmembers connecting the rear leg members and the upper sections of thefront leg memebrs to provide'a rigid frame having a pair of guidewaysformed by the channel members, a seat 'surmounting and supported by saidframe, and means connecting the lower sections of the front leg membersto the frame for movement froma retracted position aligned With thefront sections to an extended position forwardly offset therefrom, saidmeans including a step secured to the lower sections and slidable insaid guideways.

4. In a combination stool and step ladder, a frame including a pair offront leg members divided into upper and lower sections and a pair ofrear leg members, means mounted in the frame for sliding the lowersections forwardly to a limited extent from aligned relation with theupper sections, said means including oppositely facing channel guidewaysmounted in the frame and a tread member slidable in the guideways andconnecting the lower sections of the front legs and adapted to act as alower step supported by said lower sections when slid forwardly, anupper step slidable forwardly from the frame and adapted to transmitload down through the frame to points on saidguideways and thence to therear legs and the lower sections of the front legs, and means limitingthe forward sliding movement of the upper step to an extent less thanthe full forward position of said tread member.

5. A combination stool and step ladder comprising a plurality of legmembers secured together so as to provide a rigid frame, a seatsurmounting the frame and supported thereby, a pair of guide-,

ways in the frame below the level of the seat, a step mounted in theguideways for sliding movement between a retracted positionsubstantially covered by the seat and an extended position be-,

yond the plan projection of the seat, and means ing a plurality of legmembers secured together so as to provide a rigid frame, a seatsurmounting the frame and supported thereby, a pair of guide- Ways inthe frame below the level of the seat, a step mounted in the guidewaysfor sliding movement between a retracted position substantially coveredby the seat and an extended position beyond the plan projection of theseat, and means holding the step in either of said positions comprisinga resilient finger moving with the step and frictionally rubbing one ofthe guideways when the step is being moved to retracted position andadapted to snap into an opening formed in the guideway when the step isin extended position. v

7. In a combination stool and step ladder, a pair of front leg'membersdivided into normally axially aligned upper and lower sections, a rigidframe including said upper sections and a rear support, a tread memberrigidly connecting the lower sections and having its front portionsupported thereby, and means slidably mounting the tread member in theframe for limited forward movement to a position in which the lowersections are forwardly offset from the upper sections and the rearportion of the tread member is held within the frame and is supported bysaid rear support.

8. In a combination stool and step ladder, a pair of front leg membersdivided into normally axially aligned upper and lower sections, a rigidframe including said upper sections and a rear support, a lower treadmember rigidly connecting the lower sections and having its frontportion supported thereby, means slidably mounting said tread member inthe frame for limited forward movement to a position in which the lowersections are forwardly offset from the upper sections and the rearportion of the tread member is held within the frameand is supported bysaid rear support, an upper step forwardly slidably mounted in the framebetween the upper sections, and n'eans limiting forward sliding movementof the upper step to an extent less than the full forward position ofthe lower tread member, said upper step being adapted to transmit loaddown through the frame to said rear support and said lower sections.

, EVERETT M. KEEN.

REFERENCES CI ED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

